Challenging day. Used crampon for a 500 vertical foot section on the way up, and glissaded about 1200 vertical feet on the way down. Talus tip-toeing and class 3 sections caused me to continuously repeat to my self, "patience"! Slow and steady made this climb work for me. Climbed solo, saw one other party. On the way down found I had moved to far South was dropping into the South face with it's exposed gullies - had to climb back up and north to regain the S.W. ridge.

Both are entertaining hikes, but the riding in Elderberry Canyon is the best of all. Go early and get good snow. Both routes are way doable in a day by a fit person and it doesn't feel like all the verticle it's hyped up to be ; unless you're riding good snow the whole way down......

Climb was a bit of a slog - spirits were buoyed when I discovered 8-10 beers that had been left behind in snowbank near camp. After confirming that they were abandoned , a nearby neighbor and I enjoyed the brew. we packed the empties out the next day - sometimes "leave no trace" has it's rewards.

Hit the snow line at around 8,000'. Spent the night at 10,000'. Too windy to set up tent or cook dinner. Had a pretty good case of AMS going in the morning but decided to go up anyway. Hid behind a large exposed rock to cut through the overhanging cornice. Then the long slog to the summit. The snow had softened up considerably by the time I came down again. I slipped passing back down through the cornice and my ice axe self-belay pulled through the soft snow. I fell about 10 feet into the soft snow right below the cornice and started sliding down the gentle slope. Snow was way too soft for effective self-arrest but I did manage to slow down quite a bit and eventually came to a complete stop right at the edge of an exposed talus pile. Good glissades the rest of the way down. Great view but definitely a slog.

I lived in Bishop for a while as a child, and I was always fascinated by Mt. Tom, so I had to go back and see what was at the top. I did very little research before embarking, and in retrospect, Elderberry Canyon may not be the best route if all you want is to get the summit. I have heard that the Tungstar Mine route is much easier and shorter. However, the relics at the Lambert Mine are worth exploring, and I'm glad I did it, by whatever route.

Edit: June 30, 2008 ascended from the Horton Lakes trailhead, and this route is much easier than Elderberry Canyon. Climbed with ScottyS and D-Rod.